In Which I Enjoy Summer

Greeting from sunny Virginia! It's near 90 degrees, breezy, with big puffy clouds slowly drifting in the blue, blue sky. Summer school is finished! FREEDOM!! FREEDOM!!!!!

As I am incapable of moving without coughing up a lung, and my car is temporarily out of commission, I am enjoying the summer breezes from my front porch, reading detective stories while drinking tall glasses of iced tea, and the occasional fudgesicle. At least, until it's time for more Robitussin.

In Which I Go to the LIbrary

I went to the Library of Congress today. It's really big. Mind-bogglingly big. It has over 160 million books. And it's very ornate. It's also quite, quite funny. Did you know there is a painting

on the ceiling of the second floor of Greek athletes playing baseball? And a matching one at the end of the hall of Greeks playing football? There are also little naked cherubs in the Renaissance style working as electricians and carpenters and talking on the telephone on the stairwells. Americans are very strange sometimes.

I went on the docent-led tour, which only scratches the surface of things to look at. I could easily spend an entire day there, but as I had already spent an hour at the Museum of American History to see Dorothy's ruby slippers, two hours was all I could manage.

I also went to Eastern Market to try and get a crab cake sandwich, but I was too late. Understandable, as I was mesmerized by Thomas Jefferson's working draft of The Declaration of Independence. Eastern Market is not worth the trip, unless you happen to be visiting the neighborhood (which is very pretty. When I make my millions, I am going to live there, and spend weekends at my plantation on the Potomac River). Boston's market is much much cooler, both temperature-wise and in what it has to offer. I do wish I could have tried the crab cakes, though. I love them, and the strip mall chain restaurants of Northern Virginia do not offer them.

In Which I Visit Hogwarts and Engorge Marshmallows

Hi Everyone! It's been a while. I went away for a bit, and now I'm teaching summer school, so I've been busy. I visited Hogwarts. Really. Well, at least the sets for Hogwarts. This is the flying car from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I sat in Hagrid's chair, and felt the evil breath of a Dementor. I stood under the floating candles in the Great Hall, and spent some time in detention in Umbrage's office!

How did you spend your July 4th holiday? I spend mine blowing up extra-large marshmallows. It is curiously satisfying.